Formation of Wide Streamers during a Subnanosecond Discharge in Atmospheric-Pressure Air

Journal Article · Wed Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Plasma Physics Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X18080081· OSTI ID:22763238

Naidis, G. V. ^[1]; Beloplotov, D. V.; Kostyrya, I. D. ^[2]; Babaeva, N. Yu. ^[1]

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1. Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures (Russian Federation)
2. Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch (Russian Federation)

Results are presented from experimental and computational studies of a subnanosecond breakdown of atmospheric-pressure air in a nonuniform electric field. It is shown that the ionization waves (streamers) formed in the prebreakdown stage have a nearly spherical or conical shape. The diameter of the streamer in its widest part is found to increase with increasing voltage and discharge gap length. For a rise time of the voltage pulse of ≈0.5 ns and its amplitude of ≈250 kV, streamers about 8 cm in diameter were observed in a 7-cm-long gap.

• OSTI ID: 22763238
• Journal Information: Plasma Physics Reports, Journal Name: Plasma Physics Reports Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 44; ISSN PPHREM; ISSN 1063-780X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AIR
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BREAKDOWN
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
IONIZATION
PULSE RISE TIME
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION